The present invention relates to self-propelled vacuum cleaners remotely controlled by radio.
It is known to provide vacuum cleaners, for example, with an electric motor drive, and to arrange the motor drive such that the vacuum cleaner is propelled to move randomly in alternate directions and to change direction whenever an obstacle is encountered, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,809. It is also known to remotely control self-propelled vacuum cleaners by radio, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,369,543 and 4,306,329.
Self-propelled randomly moving vacuum cleaners obviously operate out of control, and the use of such vacuum cleaners presents many inconveniences as changing directions is only caused as a result of impact with walls or with furniture. Radio controlled self-propelled vacuum cleaners are generally complex in structure, require gears, dual drive motors, expensive multi-channel radio transmitter and receiver systems and complicated control systems, and often use rechargable batteries carried in the vacuum cleaner housing, which are costly, greatly increase the weight of the vacuum cleaner and require that the batteries be occasionally recharged.